The stepbrother of 16-year-old Becky Watts has appeared before a court charged with her murder.
Nathan Matthews, 28, did not enter a plea to the single charge during a short hearing at Bristol Magistrates' Court.
His girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, 21, also appeared before the court charged with intending to pervert the course of public justice.
The pair, who share a terraced house in Cotton Mill Lane, Bristol, were dealt with in separate hearings before a district judge.
Charges allege that Matthews, who was unshaven, murdered Becky between February 18th and March 1st in the city of Bristol.
Hoare is accused of intending to pervert the course of public justice by “hindering” the police investigation to assist Matthews.
Members of the public gathered outside the court then punched and shouted at three white custody vans leaving the building.
District Judge Lynne Matthews told Matthews he would next appear before Bristol Crown Court on Friday, via video link.
“As we all know, this case will have to go to the Crown Court,” the judge told Matthews.
“I cannot entertain any application for bail this morning and thus I will remand you in custody until tomorrow.”
Matthews, wearing a baggy blue t-shirt, showed no emotion as he was led to the cells by a female security officer.
No bail application
Hoare, also wearing a baggy blue t-shirt, also did not enter a plea to the single charge against her and no bail application was made.
The charge states that Hoare “did a series of acts which had the tendency to pervert the course of public justice in that you hindered the police investigation to assist Nathan Matthews and intended for him to avoid detection for the murder of Rebecca Watts”.
The judge said “This case also has to go to the Crown Court and is connected to the previous case.”
Hoare was also handcuffed to a female dock officer and led to the cells. She will next appear at Bristol Crown Court on April 2nd.
The public gallery of court room one, where the pair appeared, was packed with 40 people, mostly journalists.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said that five people arrested on Monday on suspicion of assisting an offender remain in custody.
Information received
They were arrested after detectives attended a house in Barton Court, Barton Hill in Bristol, following information that Becky’s body had been “cut up”.
Body parts were discovered at the address, which continues to be combed by forensic teams. A private ambulance was seen leaving the property on Tuesday afternoon.
The five people arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender following the grim discovery are four men, aged 29, 29, 23 and 23, and one woman, also aged 23.
Becky, described as “wonderful” by her family, vanished from her home in Crown Hill, Bristol, at 11.15am on February 19th.
Huge search
Police launched a huge search after she was reporting missing the following afternoon, including a social media campaign using the hashtag #FindBecky.
Bouquets, teddies and cards have been left at Becky’s family home, as well as at Barton Court, and mourners have attended churches across the city to pay their respects.
Matthews was previously identified as the teenager’s stepbrother — the son of her father Darren’s wife Anjie — by family members.
PA